Chef Santino Busciglio

Born in Cianciana in Agrigento, Sicily, Santino Busciglio moved to England as a baby, and settled in Bolton, Lancashire, with his family. He has fond memories of the mealtime ritual, when the family would gather at the table to enjoy a typically Sicilian meal beautifully prepared by his mother Rosa. Career : Chef at Mennula in London's Charlotte Street. From an early age, he was always fascinated by fish and game and would regularly go on shooting trips with his father, and still goes trout fishing whenever he can. Aged 16, he returned to Sicily, a turning point in his life, to fully appreciate the food, the colours and the aromas of his homeland. Two years were spent living with his beloved nonna, who was the village baker for 25 years. Leaving Sicily again to pursue a career as a chef, Santino went to work at Villa Cesari in Manchester, the best Italian restaurant in the city at the time. He then worked for seven years in Europe - Paris, Brussels and Kortrijk returning to England in 1993 to work in Henley on Thames and Marlow, then to London with the Red Pepper Group at the Black Truffle, followed by head chef positions at Rosmarino in St John’s Wood, then Alloro and Zafferano. Most recently, he worked at Volt, and was at Number Twelve in Bloomsbury for the last two and a half years. Santino lives in Berkshire with his wife Karen and their two boy’s Daniel and Luca.